The Twelve Months of Fairy Tail
by leoslady4ever
Summary: It's that time of year, where guilds compete to raise money for their favorite charities, but Lucy gets a little more than she bargained for when she offers to play photographer for her favorite barmaid.
1. Chapter 1

_Well I was planning on having this done around Christmas as a not-so-Christmasy story but it just didn't work out that way. I suppose it's better late than never! Lol_

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****_Once again, I don't own Fairy Tail. **Hiro Mashima** does._

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**THE TWELVE MONTHS OF FAIRY TAIL**

**Chapter 1**

_This could not be happening..._

It was completely unbelievable, but Lucy knew it was real. She should - she'd already pinched herself three times to make sure her mind wasn't playing tricks on her, but no...she was well and truly awake...and appalled. How could Mira suggest such a thing? How could she possibly expect Lucy to photograph a select group of Fairy Tail men for a calendar...in their underwear?!

This wasn't how it was supposed to go. It was just supposed to be pictures of guild members, just a calendar to raise money for the local children's home, not some photo shoot for...for Playgirl! Lucy wasn't _that_ kind of photographer. Sure, she'd worked as a photographer for a while before she'd made her way to Fairy Tail, but she'd never worked this kind of job!

She was incensed that Mira would drop this on her in such a way, letting her volunteer without giving her all the information. But of course, there was no backing out now. The guild's barmaid might look sweet as candy, but the truth was she was the one person you didn't want to piss off. The woman could go from smiles to demon in two seconds flat. So now, Lucy was stuck, and she was dreading it with every ounce of her being.

Still, she didn't have much choice. She wasn't getting out of this, so she may as well get over it. It was moving forward whether she liked it or not, and she had a choice. She could either let her embarrassment over the situation force her into doing a bad job or she could put on her big girl pants and knock it out of the park.

So she came up with a plan, a way to make it a bit easier on her slightly virgin sensibilities. She'd do two rounds of pics with the guys. Having exactly 6 to work with, she would take two separate pictures of each - the first with them only shirtless and using their magic, and the second, dropping down to the bare necessities. It was a flawless plan, well as close to flawless as she could get without pissing Mira off.

Nodding to herself, she squared her shoulders and all but slammed through the doors to the guild. All eyes turned at her entrance, and bracing herself for the poking and teasing, she marched her way across the room toward the Demon herself. Sure enough, the guild erupted in catcalls and whistles, but the blonde turned a deaf ear, choosing to ignore their good-natured ribbing.

She pulled along side the bar, lifting her gaze to a smiling Mira, and nodded. She was ready. No matter how badly she wanted to take off running, she would stay and brave her way through all six men. She would remain professional, keep her mind on her work, and completely avoid looking at their bodies too closely.

Of course, she found out very quickly, that was easier said than done.

Thirty minutes later, she was ready to pull her hair out. Oh, why had she thought she could do this? She'd only just started, and she'd already caught herself gaping at one of the guys. Her own team mate for Mavis' sake! Her partner!

It wasn't like she'd never seen him scantily clad before. Though he was far better than Gray at keeping his pants on, it wasn't exactly unusual for Natsu to go around shirtless or covered only by an open vest. But there was something about being the one behind the camera that changed everything, and it was making her think things she definitely should not be thinking!

Shaking away the wild thoughts, Lucy forced herself to turn back to Natsu. "Okay, Natsu...let's get this done."

She walked purposefully over to him, poignantly ignoring the way his pants hung so haphazardly on his hips. Thankfully, she didn't have to prolong this shoot by trying to figure out the best way to showcase his magic and his abs. She'd worked with him enough to know just what to do.

So, she reached out, placing his body where she wanted it, all while giving him instructions. "Okay, I want you like this, facing the camera. Right, now slightly hunch your shoulders." She nodded when he complied without fight, then touched his arm. "Okay, arms up. I want a fist here, just in front of your chest...elbow up. Good, now raise the other arm the same way and put the fist in this hand."

Looking over his stance, she frowned. Something was still off. "Natsu, spread your legs a bit more...right, and bend the knees a bit...okay great."

"No problem Luce!"

His cheerful shout brought a smile to her face, but as she moved behind the camera, the smile flickered. How had she never noticed how hot he was? She nearly snorted at the thought, because honestly, Natsu reminded her on a regular basis how hot he was by burning the tar out of her belongings. Pushing off the errant thought, she looked back up at him and grinned. "Okay Natsu, now give me a fighting face."

Natsu stared at her dumbfounded, his brow raised in question. "Huh?"

Lucy rolled her eyes, then smirked. "Pretend Cobra just walked in and called you a pansy ass matchstick."

All of a sudden, a change came over his face, his head tipping down, his eyes narrowing dangerously. And that wasn't all. His magic had activated just as she'd hoped it would, dancing along his hands and forearms and casting flickering shadows across the lower portion of his face and the top of his bare chest. It was...sexy as hell.

The blonde could scarcely find her tongue to tell him to tone the flame down, but somehow, the words tumbled from her mouth, and Natsu's flames subdued to a manageable level. Instantly, Lucy began clicking the button. She didn't want to miss the shot, because this was going to be one hell of a photo.

Another half a minute o so, she stepped back from the camera and nodded. She'd gotten it. She didn't even have to go back and look. She'd nailed it. "Okay Natsu, that's it."

"Wait," he said, stopping her with a hand on her arm. "What about the other one?"

"Oh..." Lucy's face flushed at his mention of the second photo, but she agreed. "Right. Okay, yeah you're right."

He gave her an odd look, his head angling a bit as if to get a better look. "You okay, Luce? You seem tense."

Tense? She was downright frazzled! But she pushed a bright smile on her face and ushered him to the other side of the room, the one set up with props for the more...involved pictures. "I'm fine. I've just got a lot to do."

Her partner eyed her once more, his expression telling her plainly that he knew she was lying, but he turned and faced the other direction before coming to a standstill. "What the hell is all this junk?"

Lucy laughed at his question and felt her nerves work themselves loose and fade. Natsu was a pro at that, taking stressful situations and reducing them to something silly. "Those are props. I might need some of them for these other pictures."

"Oh," he hummed, then spun around, his hand on the top of his pants. "So which one do I need?"

The Celestial mage swallowed hard as he toyed with the waistband, and she wondered briefly if he was nervous before remembering that he'd asked something. " Oh..um..." She paused, realizing she hadn't actually chosen anything for this pose. "I'm not sure."

She turned back around to see Natsu hunched over, dragging his pants down his legs and over his feet. "Socks too?" he asked, looking up from his bent position.

He was talking. She knew he was, but she couldn't seem to recall how to make her mouth work. She could only stare at the sight of him cut down to just a pair of tempting deep red boxer briefs. They were...form fitting. It was the most chaste way she could say it, but in her mind, she was freaking out. "O-Oh...yeah. No socks for this one..."

She fought to look away, fought to erase the naughty things from her mind, and only managed to succeed when she realized that Natsu had gone pink, his cheeks flaring just the lightest bit at her obvious attention. She was mortified. She couldn't believe she had gaped at him in such a way, but...now she couldn't help but notice how he looked as he awkwardly rubbed at the back of his head. Somehow, it was both cute and sexy at the same time.

And that's when inspiration struck, sending excitement billowing in her mind. All at once, she could think again, and she clapped her hands. "Oh! I have the perfect pose for you! I can't believe I didn't think of it before!"

She raced toward a far corner and waved him over. "Here Natsu, come stand in front of this dresser. Now lean back on it a bit, and feet just a little wider. Good, now just hunch your midsection just a bit. Great! And...lift your hand up like you're going to rub the back of your head."

"Like this?" he hummed, tipping his head to one side and putting his hand behind it.

"That's perfect!" Lucy cheered, smiling at her accomplishment as she ran to get her camera. She moved into place just in front of him and quieted. She knew just what to do to get the face she wanted from him. She flashed him an appreciative smile, then slipped behind the lens as she said, "You look so cute."

At her impromptu compliment, Natsu turned his head to the side, his face going sheepish, and that hand that was forever brushing at the back of his head went to work. It was perfect, and Lucy snapped shot after shot before her partner caught wind of what she'd done.

He grinned at her. "That was sneaky, Luce."

"Yeah," she laughed, holding up the camera victoriously. "But I got the shot!"


	2. Chapter 2

_Next chapter here! Hope you're all enjoying this fanfic. I know I'm having a blast writing it! I want planning on posting it yet but I was told by my impatient friend GemNika, that I should update already. So... Looks like you get another chapter lol_

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**THE TWELVE MONTHS OF FAIRY TAIL**

**Chapter 2**

Lucy moved to the cracked door and stuck her head out, scanning the room before calling out to the next guy. "Gray, you ready?"

The ice mage stood to his feet, his usual chill expression on his face as he trooped over to her. He got nearly all the way there when he was abruptly shoved to the side.

"I've got better things to do than wait all damn day. I'm going next," Laxus declared, folding his arms across his chest and glaring defiantly down at Lucy.

His attitude instantly set her on edge, her perky mood going right down the drain, and she frowned up at him before pointedly turning away and facing her team-mate. "You're still next Gray, if you want to be."

She could almost feel the angry gaze boring into the back of her head, and if she wasn't mistaken, there was a slight growl as well. Though she felt quite certain that the man rarely experienced such defiance, Lucy didn't care. She hated that kind of inconsideration.

Her dark-haired friend stood back up to his full height, curling his lip up at the lightning mage in disgust. "It's not a big deal, Luce. I can wait. I'm not an impatient ass like some people. Besides," Gray added with a smirk, "It'll be a hell of a lot nicer around here after he's gone."

Lucy giggled at his response, then sent him off with a cheerful wave. She turned, her face immediately folding into a scowl as she addressed the next in line. "Well, come on then Rudeness. Let's get it over with."

Not waiting for his reaction, she spun on her heels and stamped her way back into her impromptu studio. She let herself hope for a single instant that he'd become so annoyed at her attitude that he'd decide to back out, but the idea fell flat as soon as she thought it. There was no way he would do that. Not even Laxus was foolish enough to go against Mira in full Demon mode. And that's exactly what would happen if Laxus didn't contribute like he'd been instructed to.

The Celestial mage sighed and moved to the center of the room. She'd had no time to consider Laxus' pose at all, neither of them actually, and now that Mr. Pushy had decided to act the part of a petulant child, it was going to be even harder to come up with something enticing. At this point, she was so piqued by his behavior, she almost considered making his pictures complete flops, but that's not the kind of woman she was.

She was a Celestial Spirit mage, one that honored her promises, even if they'd come with a frustrating, pig-headed Dragon Slayer with a god complex. She'd just have to put aside her personal feelings for the big jerk and do her job. She'd done it before. She could do it again.

"Oi Blondie!" Laxus shouted at her as he clomped into the room behind her. "What the fuck was that?"

She turned a bland look in his direction. "What?"

If it was possible, his face darkened further, and he narrowed his eyes. "You should be careful how you talk to me."

"Why's that?"

She knew she was treading on dangerous ground. She'd heard the kind of temper Laxus had, but she hadn't grown up in a hostile house with her father without learning a few things. A bully never backed down unless you made him. She stood up tall, ignoring the fact that he towered over her.

"Do you have any idea how easily I could-"

And there it was. Lucy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you could kick my ass six ways to Sunday, but it won't change anything. I'll still say exactly what I want to you. If you don't believe me, ask Gajeel." She looked up to find his eyes slightly wide at her casual reference to the Iron Slayer's attack, but she didn't have time to address it. She had work to do. "Besides, we both know you won't do it, so why don't we cut the bullshit?" She moved to stand just in front of him, her head tipping back so she could fix her gaze on his. "Neither of us is getting out of this. So why don't we just do what we came here to do. Then I can get on with my day, and you can move onto whatever else is more important. Okay?"

Surprisingly, he said nothing. He just continued to stand there eyeing her like he'd never seen her before, and then, with a quiet grunt, he crossed his arms. "Fine."

Internally sighing at his acquiescence, Lucy nodded, then waved a hand to her right. "Great, over there then...please."

His brow lifted at the sincerity of her request, but he didn't understand that she had been raised a lady and certain habits died hard. Regardless, it cost her nothing to observe the most basic of niceties. He was doing what she wanted, so she could afford to exercise a little kindness.

Laxus moved into position and waited for her direction. It surprised her. After his initial fit, she'd expected nothing but demands about his pose, complaints about her slowness, scowls and grunts of annoyance. She hadn't anticipated this quiet stillness. It stumped her, and quite frankly, she didn't know what it meant.

Give her a smarmy, entitled man, and she knew just what to do. She could cut him down in two seconds flat, but a snarky man suddenly turning agreeable...that left her completely in the dark.

"Um...just give me a second to figure out what I want to do."

He nodded silently, and Lucy frowned. What was he up to? This was one of the most uncooperative men she'd ever met, and here he was obeying without question. What the hell was his angle?

Spinning around, she forced her mind past her concern. It didn't matter what he was planning. She only had to get his pictures done, and then she could shoo him out the door. No more problems. She faced him again, her mind shifting into photographer mode, and promptly realized that she had been thinking way too hard.

The solution was simple. This man was defiance personified. It was who he was, and his photographs should show that. They should embody the essence of him, not just the part that was mage, but the man himself.

Her lips curled at that, and she began to snap out her orders, flicking her hand in concert. "Take your shirt off."

Once more, his brow raised, this time in amusement. "You're a bossy little thing."

"Yeah yeah," she said, moving toward him with purpose. "Now, get moving. I don't have all day."

She waited until he'd pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it to the side, before she eyed him critically. She had to admit, to herself if no one else, he was fit. More than fit, to be honest. The man was ripped in ways she hadn't been sure was possible, and try as she might, she couldn't stop herself from mentally tracing every crease of muscle he'd exposed. Snapping her head up, she blinked, then pointed.

"Turn your body sideways with your side facing the camera. Mhmm...now, stretch your arm out and curl your hand back like you're taunting an opponent."

Laxus tossed her a questioning look, and she sighed, then moved into the position she wanted him. "Like this." She turned and held her hand out at him, curling it back as if telling him to 'Bring it'. "We're going for serious here. Like you're just about to kick someone's ass." Giving him another demonstration, she tipped her head down a bit and hardened her jaw, trying to look fierce.

She knew she'd failed when the large man burst out in a laugh. "I don't think that's your look, Blondie. Why don't you keep to the sexy stuff?"

Lucy's eyes widened at his words. Had he just called her sexy? She could feel a blush burning its way onto her cheeks, and she whipped around before it could become fully visible. Letting a man like this know he'd embarrassed her would only lead to more and more of the same.

The blonde woman shuffled back to her camera, then turned around with her professional smile firmly in place. "Alright, let's try it."

Laxus smirked knowingly, but moved himself into the position she'd asked for. His body shifted perfectly into place, just like she'd shown him, and as he lifted his head, he closed his eyes as if trying to center himself. Then suddenly, his eyes flew open, their stormy depths lit with determination.

It was just as she'd seen it in her head, all but one thing. Before she could ask, he activated his magic, wrapping his entire being in bright flickers of lightning. It was stunning, and it took Lucy a moment to remember her job. The button depressed and the shutters came down over and over again. She changed her angle just a bit, then added several more photos to the group until she was satisfied.

A happy smile climbed her face, and she found herself gushing, "That was perfect!"

"Does that surprise you?" he answered, his muscles shifting enticingly as he dropped his arm and turned to walk over to the wall.

She pouted at his arrogant reply, but found the expression dropping a second later as she watched him lean an arm against the wall and slip off his shoes. She licked her lips, unable to ignore the play of the muscles in his back. She'd never seen anything like it. He looked like he'd been sculpted out of solid rock, like something out of a make believe story about demigods.

Startled at the turn her mind had taken, Lucy shook her head, but apparently not quick enough.

"Now, that's a much better look for you," he complimented, his face amused as his hand slipped down to the zipper on his pants. He watched her as he edged the tiny bit of silver down and smiled appreciatively as if he knew her breathing had picked up.

He probably did. Stupid dragon slayer.

And why was teasing her like this? It wasn't her damn fault he was so tempting.

She called a halt to the less than innocent trail her thoughts had taken and forced herself to turn away. "Let's get this one done, so you can head out."

A chuckle sounded behind her, one brimming with masculine pride, and then she felt him move up inches from her back. She spun around and gaped at the sight of him so close in only a snug pair of boxer briefs. Against her will, her eyes instantly scrolled down his body, taking in the way he filled out the simple black underwear. A squeak erupted from her mouth as she stumbled back. "W-What are you doing?"

His lip curled at one corner. "Just giving you a close up."

Swallowing hard, she shook her head, then pointed toward the far wall. "O-Over there please."

It took all she had not to follow his trek, but somehow she tamed the urge to watch the way his ass moved beneath his slight clothing. She would be lying if she said she wasn't tempted, and Lucy was nothing if not honest. But that didn't mean she would be sharing the information any time soon.

"Now what, Blondie?"

His question successfully pulling her back to the job at hand, Lucy looked up, then twirled her finger. "Turn around."

Laxus faced her with a smug grin. "You want another look at my ass?"

Her cheeks bloomed at his insinuation. But it didn't matter that it was true, because he was never going to find out. "No, that's how we're doing the photo." She drew in a deep breath as he followed her instructions, then added, "Okay, step forward just a bit until your body almost touches the wall. Good...now, put your hands on the wall, about shoulder level, then move them out...maybe about a foot."

She watched as he did what she'd said and promptly felt the air in her lungs release as the muscles around his shoulders bunched. Holy shit.

Sounding wildly pleased with himself, Laxus asked, "How's that?"

"G-Good..." She drew herself up, determined not to let this man get to her and grabbed for her camera again. "Alright...um, turn your head...like you're trying to look over your shoulder."

The lightning mage hummed, his voice coming out slightly muffled because of the wall, "And what am I supposed to be trying to look at?"

She studied him for a minute, wondering if he was being serious, then seeing the little grin on his face, Lucy realized he was still trying to mess with her. "You're going to be looking at Mira if you don't quit screwing around," she huffed, trying to cover for her earlier fumble.

Laxus laughed and turned his head, one eye straining to seek her out. Lucy frowned, not liking it, then moved closer to his line of sight and checked her camera angle. "No, not happy. Go with intense." She paused, trying to find the best way to explain what she wanted him to do. "Okay, this is probably going to sound stupid, but... imagine you're trapped in that position, but just out of the corner of your eye, you can see a woman or...or something. Like the one thing you want more than anything else."

She sighed, thinking she'd botched the explanation, then went still as Laxus folded his face into the exact look she'd wanted. Only he was staring straight at her. Her skin prickled at the weight of that gaze, and she felt her heart trip in her chest. Taking a shaky breath, she raised the camera to her face and shifted into the perfect spot to capture everything Laxus was portraying.

By the time his session ended and he was dragging on his clothes once more, Lucy was a jittery mess. She couldn't quite fathom how he'd managed to break through her earlier annoyance and make her so hot. Even now as she walked him to the door, her mind was swamped with pictures of him, and it took all she had not to go full red in the cheeks.

Still, she couldn't quite keep the direction of her thoughts from her face, and sure enough when they reached the doorway, Laxus just had to notice. He grinned down at her, then raised a hand, tracing the color with his finger. "Care to share what you're thinking about?"

A horrified, "No!" shot from her mouth before she could contain her reaction, and then she flushed even more. Why couldn't she have said something clever?

Laxus chuckled, his grin turning distinctively smug as he leaned in and whispered huskily, "It's okay. I've got a great imagination."

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_**A/N: So...who else do you think is on this list of men? Toss out a guess or two. I may or may not confirm... lol**_


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter three actually gave me a fit for a while, but thankfully, my last attempt was a complete success. Gotta love it when the brain decides to cooperate! Yosh!_

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**_Hiro Mashima _**_owns Fairy Tail, and unfortunately, he'll never let this happen. Sigh..._

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**THE TWELVE MONTHS OF FAIRY TAIL**

**Chapter 3**

Lucy stood there dumbfounded for far too long, her mind rolling with the need to figure out what Laxus had meant when a hand dropped gently onto her shoulder. She jumped, then turned, seeing Gray standing there, his face touched with concern.

"You okay?" he asked, tossing a glance in Laxus' direction before looking back at her. "Did he do something?"

_Do something_, she wanted to ask, l_ike shock the hell out of her and set her insides on fire?_ That would be a big hell yes! Of course, Lucy couldn't say that. That would be inappropriate, not to mention embarrassing as hell. So, shoving a reassuring smile on her face, she shook her head. "No, of course not. Everything's fine."

His gaze was steady, eyeing her critically as if he knew she was keeping secrets. "You sure?"

Lucy's palms itched as she fought the urge to fidget under his scrutiny, but her will won out and she managed to pull off a convincing laugh. "Yes I'm sure. You about done worrying so we can get to work?"

Gray stared at her a moment longer before nodding his head and waving his hand at the room behind her. "I'm ready when you are."

"Great! Let's get this show on the road!"

The dark-haired man moved with her and laughed. "I had no idea you were so excited to get me out of my clothes. Usually, you're telling me to put them back on."

"Oh shut up!" Lucy fired back, her cheeks tinting pink. "That's not what I meant."

"It's interesting," he hummed, ignoring her as he stroked a hand over his chin in contemplation. "I would have thought you'd seen enough of my stripping every day, but I guess not."

The blonde woman smacked a hand onto his arm and laughed. "That's not funny!"

"Hey!" he pouted, grabbing hold of his arm like she'd killed him. "Don't damage the merchandise! Wouldn't want me to look abused in my picture, would you?"

Lucy rolled her eyes with a snort. "Oh please. You're fine, drama queen."

"I hope so..." Gray hummed, then his eyebrows lifted, and he grinned cockily at her. "It would sure be a shame if my photos turned out bad. Mira would be so disappointed."

The blonde froze in place, then whipped her head in his direction, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "I swear to Mavis, if you do that, Gray Fullbuster, I will string you up by your toes and beat you like a rug."

His eyes went wide, and then he cracked a grin. "Beat me like a rug?" He snorted, a laugh bubbling up a moment later. "You're so bad at threatening people."

Once more, Lucy smacked him, her face folding into a pout. "I am not!" She tried to deny his statement, but was cut short as he cracked up again, his laughs growing louder. "I'm not!"

She crossed her arms as he continued to chuckle and turned to stomp over to the camera, her lip drooping petulantly. She wasn't bad at threatening people. She threatened Natsu all the time when he snuck into her bed! _Then again_, her mind argued, _he kept doing it_. Maybe she wasn't as good as she thought.

A pair of chilly arms draped around her, giving her a quick squeeze, and suddenly, Gray's face was dropping down over her shoulder. "Aww...don't be mad, Lucy Loo. You're plenty scary!" he teased.

"Hey!" Lucy squawked indignantly, turning her head to find a wide grin on his face. "I'm not scary!"

"Oh is that not right either?" he asked, still slumped over her shoulder. His expression turned contemplative. "How about moody?"

Lucy threw his arms off, struggling to contain her grin. She could never hold onto her annoyance when he was like this, and he knew it. Still, she fought it, trying to stuff down her amusement so he wouldn't see when she turned around, but he was already grinning like a cheshire cat.

Cocky asshole...

"Oh shut up," she muttered, giving him a shove and ignoring his subsequent laugh. "Get your ass over there." She paused, knowing she shouldn't, knowing it would only encourage him, but she couldn't quite stop herself. "...And I'm not moody."

Gray laughed as he made his way across the room, and turned long enough to toss her a wink. "Of course you're not."

Shaking her head and smothering yet another smile, Lucy moved toward him, going back over the poses she'd already worked out for him. She'd seen his magic in action extensively, and after careful consideration, she'd chosen the two poses best suited for what they were doing today. They were also two of her favorites.

She could feel herself getting excited to start, and with her interest sparking inside her, she grinned and clapped her hands together. "Okay first, let's start with your Ice Bringer."

Gray arched a brow at her enthusiasm, but drew his hands together. "Ice Make: Ice Bringer!"

A cool white mist swirled around him as his magic was activated, and within a moment, there he stood with twin swords in hand. And that wasn't all. Somehow, in the midst of calling forth the massive iced blades, he'd also lost his shirt.

Lucy glanced around, wondering where it had gone and how she'd missed it in the first place. "How do you do that?" she mused, laughing as she caught sight of the simple blue t-shirt hanging from a lamp halfway across the room.

Her friend shrugged coolly. "It's a gift."

Snorting at his explanation. "I'm sure Juvia thinks so."

"Hey!" Gray pouted at that, then pointed at her with the fine tip of his sword. "I'll have you know that most women think so too!"

"If you say so," Lucy returned with an elegant wave of her hand. Secretly, she enjoyed teasing him about Juvia. She knew the man had already told the water woman he wasn't interested, but she couldn't help finding enjoyment in the way the other female constantly stalked him. Well, the enjoyment was more accurately found in Gray's reaction to the stalking - his constant running to escape her loving clutches, his petulant whines at being followed. It was all too much to ignore.

"If I remember correctly, _you_ were _plenty_ eager to get me out of my clothes today!"

Her eyes rolling, Lucy smirked. "You wish. As you also pointed out, I'm usually the one trying to get you to put them back on."

Gray tossed her a smug look. "That's just because you want to touch me."

The blonde shook her head, but couldn't help laughing. "In your dreams, buddy." She waved him over. "Okay, let's get busy before you get even more ridiculous."

Winking, the ice mage followed her lead. "It's okay, Lucy Loo. It can be our little secret."

"Whatever you say, Gray."

Gray laughed, lifting his sword up in victory. "She admits it!"

A grin pulled at her features, one she knew she wouldn't be getting rid of before she booted his crazy ass out. It was always like that when it was the two of them alone - silly, completely devoid of seriousness. In a word, was easy.

"Okay Mr. Delusional," she fired back playfully, unable to keep the mirth from her voice. "Time to get serious."

"Yes ma'am!"

She laughed as he attempted a salute with his sword, then let her grin fall away. "Alright, here's what I want you to do." She moved toward him, using her hands to move him into position as she talked. "Step forward with your left foot. Right, but bend your knees a bit more. Yeah, like that." She reached for his arms, pulling them up and out to the sides. "Good, now lean you upper body forward like you're getting ready to launch an attack at someone."

Shifting back, she studied his stance and nodded. Everything looked right...everything except his expression. He still had that silly grin on his face, the one that said she'd proven his point. "What's all that about?" she asked, waving a finger at his face.

Gray's smile went wide. "I knew you wanted to touch me."

"Oh for Mavis' sake," she muttered, then turned and headed to her table for her camera. "You're nuts."

A chuckle shook his chest as he shot her words back at her. "If you say so."

She rolled her eyes again. "Okay sir, I've got other people to photograph today, so get your act together. Give me some heat."

"Um...you do realize I'm not Natsu, right?"

Lucy had to laugh at his deadpan look. "I didn't mean literal, you dork. I meant the heat of battle. Show me the ass-kicking face to go with that stance."

His mouth curved in complete assurance, and he hunched lower. "Oh I got this."

She nodded at his determination, lifting her camera as his hands tightened on the twin blades and his eyes peered out from beneath furrowed brows. His lips pulled back into a fierce sneer, revealing perfectly straight teeth, and Lucy was stunned to feel a faint fluttering in her chest.

He was...unbelievable. She froze in place at the picture he made, and she wondered why she'd never noticed how incredible he looked like this. She imagined him fresh from a fight, his skin aglow with sweat, and she nearly blushed at how enticing the image became.

What was she doing? This was her friend. She shouldn't be imagining him in such a way, no matter how intriguing it was.

Pushing the wild thoughts aside, she raised the camera to her face and clicked off shot after shot until she was certain she'd captured him perfectly. Dropping her hand, she grinned at him. "That was great!"

"Well, I am awesome," he joked as he shifted out of position and dispersed his swords.

Thankfully, it didn't appear that he'd noticed her momentary lapse, and trying to keep herself occupied, Lucy hurried him over to a wide open section of the room. "Okay, now for the other one."

She turned and found him suddenly clothed in only a simple pair of deep blue boxers. "W-Where did your clothes go?"

Gray looked down in surprise, then lifted his shoulders as if wholly unconcerned. "Eh...who knows. You wanted me like this, though right?"

Lucy pushed her rising blush down, cursing herself for reading more into his question than he'd intended. "Yeah." She kept it simple, knowing anything more could very well reveal her preoccupation.

"Alright, this time, do your prison."

The dark-haired mage shot her a strange look. "I though this one was supposed to look sexy."

"I'm not sure you can handle that."

The minute the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to retrieve them. She couldn't believe she'd gone there with everything inside her already acting so strange. But it was habit, something she would have normally said in response to a statement like that, but in this moment, she could only mentally throttle herself because she should have known what would come next.

Instantly, Gray's mouth dropped open, his jaw slack as he gaped at her, and then everything changed.

"I can't what?" He asked softly, his voice going deeper as his expression transformed into something she'd never seen on him before. "Oh you're going to regret saying that."

Unbidden, Lucy's insides clenched, and she fought not to stutter as she replied, "W-Why's that?"

Her question ignored, Gray shot her a seductive look and pressed his fist to his other palm. "Ice Make: Prison!"

Once more, the chill from his magic permeated the air, and Lucy waited with bated breath for it to dissipate. She had a feeling she was going to get more than she'd bargained for, but she'd had no idea just how right she was.

She'd expected him to make the prison, but Mavis help her, she hadn't expected him to be inside or for him to gaze out at her as if he'd like nothing more than to devour her poor feverish body whole.

He stalked forward, his hands reaching out to grasp the bars as his expression darkened into something far more seductive. His body shifted, arching into the solid beams of ice and somehow managing to look both powerful and restrained at the same time.

Lucy swallowed hard at the scene before. She didn't understand what was happening to her. Never before had Gray elicited the slightest bit of interest in her, and yet, here she was fighting a full-on rush of attraction. It was like a tidal wave of heat slamming into her and spearing out to every inch of her body.

"Lucy..." he called, his voice a deep rasp that had the pit of her stomach wobbling. "You going to take the picture?"

The blonde blinked rapidly, trying to move past the intense sensations swamping her. It took her a moment to gather her wits, but she finally managed to lift the camera to her face. She drew in a shaky breath, trying to force her pulse to calm, and then she snapped the picture. One after another, she clicked them off, adding more than she probably needed, but she was struggling to put Gray back into the box she'd had in before.

She couldn't however keep the camera attached to her eye forever, and she knew Gray would question her if she continued to hide behind the device, so with great trepidation, she dropped her arms.

She watched as the man before her retracted his magic, and then he raised that dark sexy gaze to meet hers. She held her breath as he took two steps in her direction, his movements slow and deliberate, and Lucy wondered just who this man was. How had she not known he could be so damn...provocative?

Gray stopped right in front of her, intensity rolling off of him in waves, and then he lifted his hand. He was going to touch her. Suddenly, Lucy was sure she was dreaming. It was the only thing that made sense because Gray had never been so sexy, and she'd never felt so weak-kneed over his presence.

She trembled as his hand neared her face...and then he grinned.

It took her a moment to realize he'd played her, but when she did, she smacked at his hand and shoved him away. "Oh my God, I can't believe you got me with that!"

A laugh burst from his throat at her reaction, and he shook. "Damn, I had you going good!"

"You are a supreme ass," Lucy muttered, but she couldn't help a giggle at his continued mirth. "Where the hell did you even learn to do that shit?"

A smirk adorning his face, he leaned in. "Wouldn't you like to know..."

* * *

**_A/N: Oh my Mavis, this wast too much fun. Thoughts? Questions? Nosebleeds? lol Who do you think is next? _**


	4. Chapter 4

_Well, this one went a bit long. lol Don't ask why. I have no idea other than that I adore this man. *shrugs* I'm wholly unrepentant about the extra love for my main squeeze, but I hope you love it! Also, I apologize for it taking me forever to update. School's been insane lately. But rest assured that I intend to update all of my stories soon. Just be patient with me while I get everything sorted out. _

_Also, **Hiro Mashima** said I couldn't have Fairy Tail because according to him, I'd make it all about sex. _

_Like I'd do that..._

* * *

**THE TWELVE MONTHS OF FAIRY TAIL**

**CHAPTER 4**

Lucy strolled from her temporary studio with a grin, her hand lifted in a wave to Gray as she called out to the next guy on her list.

"Gajeel, you ready?"

A grunt sounded from the other side of the room as the dark-haired man rose to his feet and walked silently toward her. She hadn't been sure what kind of reaction to expect from Gajeel about his being roped into this. He certainly wasn't the type to enjoy this sort of thing. Then again, Mira wasn't the easiest person to refuse, so she resigned herself to have another slightly uncooperative customer.

Though if she was honest, Laxus hadn't stayed uncooperative the whole time. No, he'd seemed to find a great deal of pleasure in using the entire experience to taunt her with his rather enticing...assets. She wondered if Gajeel would be the same way.

She blushed, imagining this normally stern man turning playful and seductive like Laxus and even Gray had. Immediately, she spun around, determined to cleanse such a wild idea from her mind before he could catch sight of her pink cheeks. She was being ridiculous anyway. Gajeel wasn't like that with her. And she of course wasn't like that with him.

They were friends...of a sort. They weren't what most people would call exceptionally close. Then Gajeel wasn't exactly the kind of guy to get close to many people. Still, they were friends. They talked.

All at once, she found herself pausing, her head tipping to the side. Now that she was thinking of it, she couldn't remember the last time they'd even done that. How long had it been since they'd even greeted each other in passing? It was normal for them as mages to stay busy, but for her to not even recall the last conversation they'd had, it was telling.

Lips pursing, she turned to address him, not even thinking to warn the man following so closely that she was stopping.

Her abrupt halt left him no time to put on the brakes, and with a curse, he plowed right into her, his shoulder coming into startling contact with her head. The collision sent her head reeling for a moment and would have knocked her on her ass if it weren't for Gajeel's quick reaction. Almost instantly, his hands closed around her upper arms, keeping her steady until she could get her bearings again.

"What the hell was that, Bunny Girl?" he grumbled, his face folding into a disapproving expression. "You trying to knock yourself out?"

Lucy rubbed at her forehead, then glanced up with a pout. "You could at least ask if I'm okay."

He considered her for a split second, then huffed, "If you've got the energy to bitch, you're fine."

Ignoring his cold response, the blonde folded her arms across her chest and waited, tapping her foot expectantly. She knew he would cave eventually. He always did. He played a good game, pretending to be nothing but a moody bastard, but Lucy had seen enough to know he was anything but. Underneath that hard exterior lived a man with a quick fire wit and a heart of gold. It was a dingy thing, sometimes requiring a little dusting off, but it was there just the same.

As she'd known he would, several long seconds later, Gajeel rolled his eyes and relented. "Fine...are you alright?"

A bright smile split her face at his inquiry. Regardless of how begrudging it sounded, she didn't take offense. She'd learned to not only expect his gruffness, but to find a great deal of amusement in it. Because he tried so hard to pretend he didn't care about anyone, and she knew better. He was just stubborn. He refused to show that he cared, so she'd made a game out of forcing him to do so.

And so far, he let her. She didn't fool herself into thinking that he'd let it continue forever, so she made it a point to enjoy it as much as possible while she still could.

"Well, you were supposed to ask if I was okay, but I suppose that'll work!" She giggled when he huffed at her inanity, then added, rather unnecessarily. "And yes, I'm fine. Thank you for asking."

"I didn't exactly ask," he reminded her, one pierced brow arching in playful derision. "You made me ask, so it doesn't count."

It was nothing short of what Lucy had anticipated him saying, and it had Lucy lightly shaking her head. "Of course it counts," she assured, tapping a knowing finger to his chest. "You said it, and besides, you and I both know I couldn't _make_ you do anything you didn't want to do."

His prickly exterior shifted at her declaration, his thin lips lifting ever so slightly at the corners. He said nothing in defense of his position, didn't try to argue the point, and Lucy couldn't help but feel a bit smug at her clear win. Giving a cheerful clap of her hands, she spun and chirped, "Alright, now let's get you out of that shirt!"

She came to a stumbling halt as she realized what she'd just said to him. It had to be the most casual she'd ever spoken to him, and it had her blanching. This wasn't Gray or even Natsu. They were accustomed to her chattering on without a thought to what came out. They knew her well enough to know it often meant nothing, but this was Gajeel. And he didn't know her that well. What if he thought she was implying something else?

A snort of amusement sounded from behind her, and Lucy fought against the wave of humiliation that longed to make itself known across her already warm cheeks. She could positively feel her temperature rising.

Could she not get through one of these sessions without embarrassing herself? These were men she knew, admittedly some of them not as well as others, but they were familiar. She shouldn't be having so much trouble speaking to them.

More importantly, she shouldn't have been ogling them the way she'd been all morning. Even her best friend hadn't been immune to her mind's sudden preoccupation with the gutter. It was like her previously dormant libido had suddenly decided to come out of its shell and make up for lost time.

Shaking her head, she vowed this time would be different. She wouldn't lose control of her body. Her mind might take the path down to Pervy Town, but she would restrain herself. She didn't kid herself that it would be easy. These were strange, new feelings that had been awakening inside of her, ones she would have preferred to experience for the first time in the privacy of her own home where she could, if need be, satisfy her urges. But things hadn't turned out that way, and now that she found herself in such a position, somehow she would have to find a way to be professional.

And that's exactly what she'd do...even if she had to cross her legs so tight it cut off the circulation to her nether regions.

Slightly mollified and more than a little embarrassed by her pep talk, she forced herself to face her subject. Instantly, a frown sprang to her face when she found him much like he'd been before, standing just inside the door and lounging against the frame as if he hadn't a care in the world.

He looked incredibly comfortable...and unbelievably sexy if she was being completely honest. He could have been a model, one who in her mind would be wearing next to nothing, and it sent a jolt to her already frail control. Her fingers itched for a camera...and a pair of scissors. He really needed to be out of those clothes. It was a crime to hide all those muscles he surely possessed.

Rolling her eyes at the path her thoughts had taken, Lucy resolved to focus on the task at hand. They had a limited amount of time to get this done, and she had two more men to photograph today. And that meant Gajeel needed to get out of that shirt so they could get started. "Gajeel, what are you doing? You're supposed to be getting undressed."

Somehow between the time the innocent sounding words left her brain and the time it took for them to exit her mouth, something had changed. In her head, it had come out completely different, a simple question with a simple statement of fact. Now though, it sounded as if she was trying to get him naked!

Okay granted, the eventual intention was to get him down to his skivvies, but that was it. She wasn't trying to fully strip the man down.

These men were getting to her. Every single one seemed to be working against her, using their bodies to demolish the scant few brain cells she had left. She'd most likely be a bumbling idiot by the time the day was done.

And maybe that was their plan! Maybe they had this whole thing worked out as a punishment for her part in making them participate in this crazy endeavor. She really should give Mira hell for it. She was the one that deserved it. She'd forced them all in to this particular servitude.

Gajeel, for his part, did exactly what she had come to expect. He laughed. Because what could be more amusing than a woman tripping all over herself to talk to a hot guy?

His head tipped in a way she'd never seen before, and when he spoke, it was with a tone as smooth as silk. "I was waiting."

She paused, her confounded mind trying to figure out what he was up to. It was obvious something had changed, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what. So, she waited, but when it was clear he wasn't going to elaborate, she prodded, "For?"

Apparently waiting for just that question, he grinned, pulling himself upright and taking a swaggering step in her direction. "I was waiting for you to help me."

"W-What?" Lucy gulped at his words, her heart plummeting straight down to her stomach, but really, she should have seen it coming. That grin had been nothing short of devious, but having never seen Gajeel behave in such a way, she'd been at a disadvantage. And that had never been as clear as it was now.

She felt completely out of balance. This was Gajeel Redfox, sourpuss extraordinaire, and yet somehow, right before her very eyes, he'd transformed into a world class flirt. Had he always had this side to him?

Her mouth suddenly dry, she stuttered, "W-Why would I help you with that?"

"Well, you did say 'Let's get you out of that shirt'," he said, his tone more playful than she'd ever heard. "I just figured that meant you were gonna help me out of it."

Abruptly, Lucy shook her head - quickly, violently. There wasn't a chance in hell she was touching that. Not that she would mind touching him. It was just that...

Holy shit, what was she _thinking_? This was getting crazy. _She_ was getting crazy. "Um...no. No, I think you should just...do it."

"You sure? Wouldn't want you telling the Demon I was being difficult." He waited for her to wave him on, then reached for the hem of his faded black t-shirt, tossing her another grin before pulling it up and over his head.

Lucy tried not to watch. Hell, she tried damn hard not to even look in his direction once she saw him stripping the worn fabric off, but she was beginning to think it was hopeless. The guys before had started something, and apparently, her brain was bound and damn determined to stay parked right there on Perv Street. As it was, she struggling not to outright stare as a delightful set of abs came into view followed by a fine set of pecs.

She'd known Gajeel was built. Hell, most of the men in Fairy Tail were. She had eyes, 20/20 vision in fact. So yes, she'd most definitely noticed, but it was one thing to absently notice a man's attractiveness and actively trying to sneak a great deal more than a peek the moment he lost his shirt.

She was losing it. That was all there was to it. Otherwise, she wouldn't be feeling so...shaken by all these men she'd had no problem being around before. She blamed Laxus. Honestly, it all started with him. That man had gone and screwed everything up for her today.

But that wasn't right either. It started before him...with Natsu. And her partner hadn't done a damn thing out of the ordinary. He'd simply been himself. It was she that had changed. She'd been the one to see something she hadn't seen before.

Damn, and she really wanted it to be Laxus' fault. Stupid sexy ass man. Stupid sexy ass men, the lot of them. They were ruining her.

A chuckle drew her from her thoughts, and she blinked slowly, trying to comprehend why he was laughing at her again. Then she realized she hadn't stopped ogling him.

Instantly, heat bloomed in her cheeks, and she stammered as she flung herself around in a bid to hide her mortification. She needed to get it together. She was only just halfway through with this project, and she needed her wits about her if she was going to get through it with even a semblance of her pride left.

Swallowing down the urge to groan, she made her way over to her camera and studiously checked over her equipment. Anything to avoid looking in his direction again really. But she couldn't do that forever. At some point, she had to get this over with.

A deep breath in, and she was ready or at least marginally so. Either way, she was going in. She only wished she hadn't already revealed her naughty hand. Seeing his smile, she adopted a professional aire. "Okay, let's get started. Over here, please."

She pointed, directing him to a corner she'd already prepared for his first shot. A deep red sheet hung in the background, its layers draping in a way that simulated the wavy spears of a lazy fire. The back drop was important for Gajeel's photo, especially considering the general darkness of his clothing and his inky black hair. The red would bring out his eyes, and also accentuate his skin color.

He scanned the setup, then turned to her with an approving nod. "Now what?"

"Now," she said, moving toward him, her mind already positioning him the way she wanted. "I want you to make a sword, but not the really large one. You'll need something narrower this time, one you can hold in your hand."

His brow wrinkled as he thought over what she'd said, and then he activated his magic, uttering a quick, "Iron Dragon's Sword."

An instant later, he looked up, hefting a light rapier into her line of sight. "Like this?"

His lip curled at the smaller sword, and Lucy could just imagine him calling it all sorts of sissy names in his head. She smiled when he turned to her and frowned. "Are you seriously taking a picture of me with this girly shit?"

A laugh bubbled up at his predictable reaction. "Yes, I am. Trust me, you're going to want it thin. Well, unless you've got some hidden talents I know nothing about." She had no idea where the veiled tease had come from, but she knew the moment she told him what she expected him to do, he'd figure out just what she was suggesting. How he'd react to that, however, was anyone's guess.

Yes, she probably should have left that alone.

Gajeel's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about? What the hell are you making me do?"

Another giggle made itself known, and she had to cough to prevent even more from slipping out. "We already established that I can't _make_ you do anything, so what I _want_ you to do is swallow it."

A single pierced eyebrow lifted at her explanation. "You want me to swallow it."

Lucy nodded, biting her lip at the hilarity of his expression. "Yes, can you do it?"

Gajeel stood there for a time, his face shifting ever few seconds. It was as if he was debating the wisdom of doing what she'd asked. It was obvious he'd figured out what she'd been teasing him about before, and she felt fairy certain he was now considering what an ability like that could be construed as to some of the other guys. Lucy could almost see the thoughts skittering across his face, the back and forth of his decision.

Finally, his face hardened, and he pointed a fine-tipped sword in her direction. "You better make this look good, cause if I come out looking like I'm...like I'm...skilled at _that,_ I'm gonna whip your ass."

Lucy pressed her lips together, knowing just what he meant. Nodding emphatically, she moved toward him, holding her hands out in placation. "I promise, you'll look amazing. Just do what I tell you to do."

His lips twitched, and then he smirked. "You did all this just so you could boss us around, didn't you?"

The blonde grinned widely and pointed at the corner. "Of course! Now, get your butt over there and eat some sword!"

The smirk fell away at that, and he shot her a stern look. "Watch it, Bunny Girl."

"Oh I'm going to watch it," Lucy laughed, tossing him an unapologetic grin as she turned to collect her camera.

"That's not fucking funny..."

Lucy wholeheartedly disagreed, but she could tell she was toeing the line here, so she left it alone and shifted into photographer mode. "Okay, let's do this."

Taking his cues from her, Gajeel turned and lifted the sword above his head, then paused just an inch or so from his mouth to look over at her. "You better not tell anyone this was easy for me."

Cracking up at his concern, Lucy nodded, forcing her face into an expression of grave importance. "I swear I'll tell them all it was so hard I almost had to make you quit."

Snorting, Gajeel dropped his arm. "You tell them that, and they won't be thinking about swallowing swords."

The blonde went pink in the face, but laughed nonetheless. "Good point." She waited for him to raise the sword a second time before she added, "I'll tell them you kept choking."

A bark of laughter burst from his mouth, and he fought to level a glare in her direction. "Stop that shit."

"Okay, okay..." She held her hands out to show she was done, then motioned for him to continue. "We've got to get busy. We're behind schedule."

"You know, you're making it worse."

Shaking her head, Lucy smiled. "That one was an accident."

His gaze suspicious, he lifted the sword. "Sure it was."

A smile hovering on her lips, she lifted her camera. "Whenever you're ready."

She watched as he took a deep breath, relaxing his throat, and then slowly, steady, the sword disappeared into his mouth. It was incredible to say the least, so much so that she nearly forgot to snap the picture. There was just something astounding about the level of skill he was displaying. Had he done this before?

Before she could become distracted again, she snapped off several picture, each showing a progression deeper into his throat. She wondered just how far he could push it in. Could he go all the way?

"Amazing..."

She couldn't help expressing her surprise at such an impressive ability. And beneath her admiration was another layer or interest, one that had very little to do with swords and cool circus-like talents. No, he was inspiring far more carnal thoughts in her head, ones she was ashamed to admit were getting progressively dirtier. She honestly couldn't help herself. She wasn't even sure what it was about the whole thing that appealed to her. Maybe it was his exposed elongated neck. Maybe it was the control he had to exert to keep himself from getting hurt.

She had no idea. All she knew is that this picture was going to be hot as hell.

Of course, this one was going to have nothing on the next one. She couldn't quite believe she'd even come up with such a racy idea for his sexy shot. And sexy it would be, probably beyond anything she'd done thus far today. It was going to take every woman's head straight to the gutter where she apparently now ruled supreme.

"How was it?" Gajeel asked, taking a moment to swipe beneath his lower lip. "Did it turn out okay?"

Blinking away her concerns about his second photo, she smiled and nodded enthusiastically. "That was...so unbelievable," she said, flushing a bit when her voice came out a bit on the breathy side. "It's going to look so great!"

Gajeel appraised her for a moment, an amused grin on his face. "Good, now what's next...other than you getting me naked?"

Lucy gawked at him, words refusing to come to address such a statement. She didn't know what had come over him, but she was torn between loving it and absolutely despising his ability to shock her. "You...I'm not..." She quit, knowing no response would effectively answer him. "Over here."

The Iron Slayer chuckled at her obvious discomfort, but followed her nonetheless. He said nothing...all the way until she pointed at the narrow metal table set up in yet another section of the room. "And what the hell do you want me to do with that? You want me to eat that too?"

"No," she laughed, then got serious once more. "I want you to get on it."

His eyes widened as he glanced back toward the smooth, clean surface. "And do what?"

"Just...lie there."

He studied her again, his brow wrinkling. "And that's sexy?"

Lucy snorted. "Not exactly, but what I'm going to do with you will be." It took only an abrupt laugh from her male counterpart to realize what she'd just said. "You know what I mean!"

"Oh I do...I really do."

"Gajeel, stop it! I didn't mean it like that, and you know it." Her face probably looked like a cherry right now. How in the world she kept saying stuff that sounded so sexual was beyond her. She didn't normally have that issue. She was usually so precise with her words. Well, at least until she got flustered. Then it was every thought for itself, and there was no telling what would spit out next.

Okay, so maybe she always had that issue.

Tossing her a wink, Gajeel reached for his pants. "You ready for this?" he teased. "Wouldn't want you to overheat or something."

She could slap him. She really could...maybe right on the tight ass she was catching sight of as his pants hit the floor. Ugh! Why couldn't she stop? This was beyond embarrassing! And it was made even more so when he looked up and caught her staring _again_. Damn man and his smirk.

"How's that temperature?"

"Oh shut up..." she mumbled, waving him toward the table.

A soft rumble sounded as he passed her, a buried laugh Lucy was sure, and then he hefted himself up on the shiny tabletop. Immediately, he laid back, raising a knee to get comfortable before glancing in her direction. "Okay, do what you want with me."

A light smile played at his lips, and Lucy felt heat burrow deep in her belly. He was enjoying this far too much. And she'd be lying if she said she wasn't as well. She was about to put her hands on him, like she'd done with all the guys so far, and while it was thrilling, it was also immensely nerve-wracking.

She moved closer, setting her camera down on the chair to the side before approaching the table. Scanning his position, she waved her hand. "Move up a little, until just the top of your head touches the end of the table." She waited for him to comply, then nodded, taking a deep breath as she took the final step toward him. "Now, I want you to put your hands in your hair."

Gajeel shot her a look of confusion, but shoved his hands roughly into his black locks. "Like this?"

Lucy shook her head, moving her hands over his to thread his fingers gently through the inky strands close to his head. "Alright, now tighten your fists a bit. Lightly. Don't pull on them. It's just supposed to simulate the action."

The Dragon Slayer looked up, his face tinged with uncertainty. "Why am I doing it though?"

"Because it's hot." Lucy's eyes went wide at the words she'd allowed to come tripping out of her mouth. "I...I mean it's hot to see a-a guy doing it." She wanted to facepalm, and she probably would have if Gajeel hadn't been staring up at her with that shit-eating grin. "Don't say it."

"You think I'm hot like this?" he asked, thrusting his hands in even deeper and adopting a heated expression. "How about now?"

Lucy felt the air in her lungs seize. What the hell was he doing? Why was he acting this way? And why the hell was she reacting to it the way she was?

Figuring it was safer to ignore the question than try to answer it, Lucy avoided his eyes and continued where she'd left off. "Now arch your back. Not a lot, but enough to bring it off the table. You want it to look like-"

"Like I'm getting fucked and liking it a whole lot," he finished, his smirk growing wider.

The blonde opened and closed her mouth several times before she managed to squeak out a small, "Yeah."

Gajeel eyed her knowingly, then tipped his head in the direction of her camera. "I'm ready when you are, Bunny. Just try not to drool too much; wouldn't want your camera to get wet."

Lucy forced a roll of her eyes and backed away. She couldn't quite manage a carefree attitude because even without Gajeel completing the positioning she'd designed for this shot, he looked sexy as hell. Already the space between her thighs was tingling, and he hadn't really even done anything.

Then again, maybe she was just turning into a major pervert.

Swallowing to prevent just what he'd teased her about, she snatched up her camera and put it to her face. She just needed one good shot, and then she could send him on his way. Because honestly, she was needing a bathroom break pretty desperately just now...and it had nothing to do with her bladder.

"You ready for me?"

His words shot liquid heat through her veins, and it took all she had not to respond with a blathering affirmative. "Show me what you've got," she said, saying the words softly as if the sheer lack of volume could save her from him taking it the wrong way.

"You got it," he uttered in that deep sensual voice he'd adopted some time ago, and then his expression went dark.

Before she could even prepare herself, which might not have even been possible, Gajeel angled his upper body off the table, tilting his head back as his fingers splayed erotically through his hair. Lucy's heart tripped wildly in her chest as those silky strands fell over the side of the table, making the already steamy picture that much sexier. She'd never seen him like that, his eyes clenched tight, the lines and angles of his face all melding to form a look of absolute pleasure. It was, she imagined, just what he'd look like if he was moments away from reaching his climax.

Suddenly, she wasn't sure she could breathe. The air felt too thin, too warm, and she was certain her face was showing the change in temperature.

Raising shaky fingers to her camera, she made the adjustments required, then began shooting. She could only go about her work and hope the normalcy of what she was doing settled the nerves churning in her gut. Snap after snap filled the room, and still, she continued until her camera clicked with the end of the roll of film.

She drew back, sucking in a mouthful of air when her lungs screamed. She'd gotten it. It had just about killed her, but she'd gotten it.

"So, what's the verdict?"

She wanted to ignore his question, especially with the mirth spilling so obviously into his voice, but she was a professional. Well, she was trying to be, dammit! And she would finish this photo shoot before she fell apart from intense sexual stimulation.

"It'll be good."

A smirk donned his face. "Good, huh? You sure that's all it'll be?"

Lucy refused to tell him what he already knew. He was a Dragon Slayer, so there was no hiding what she thought of his picture. There was no reason for him to ask the question when he already knew she was lit up like a Christmas tree.

"It was...excellent work," she muttered, spinning around to head to her desk to get the film ready for the next person. It was simply an excuse to put some distance between them and neither of them were falling for it. Still she was thankful he let it slide, even if it was only for now. She had no doubt he'd be bringing this up again some time in the future. The man would never be able to ignore the temptation of teasing her about her reaction to him.

"Okay Bunny Girl." He laughed, and she could hear him slipping from the table quietly and making his way over to where he'd left his clothes. "You wanna help me back into my pants?"

Her face went bright red, her fingers flexing with the urge to do just that...or was it the urge to help him out of what he still had on? "Nope...I'm good."

"Yes, you are," he called back, his voice alight with amusement as he zipped up his jeans.

She could hear him back there, could just imagine him reaching for his shirt and sliding the soft cloth down over his impressive muscles. It seemed such a shame to hide such bounty, and now that she'd gotten an up close and personal view of that wide expanse of perfection, she couldn't deny a sense of sadness that his abs would now be shielded from view again.

Shaking her head, she tried to focus back on the conversation and found herself perplexed by what he'd said. What the hell did that even mean? It was beginning to seem a foregone conclusion for these guys to leave her in a state of perpetual confusion.

In spite of her bewilderment over the meaning of his response, she kept her back turned. She couldn't afford to see him again just yet, not with her body going haywire like this. So it was only by sound that she realized he'd come up behind her.

"How about we do this again some time?"

Her eyes went wide, her mind scrambling for sort of witty rejoinder, but try as might she could find nothing but white noise as he leaned in right up next to her ear and hummed, "See you around, little Bunny."

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**_A/N: __Sooooo...was this worth the wait? lol I certainly hope so, because there's more to come. Next up is...oh wait, I wasn't planning on telling you. Maybe you should guess! _**

**_LOVES!_**

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**Edit:** A reviewer asked if they could commission someone to draw out this calendar. Unfortunately, it was a guest review, so I have no way to responding, but my answer would have been a hearty yes! I've been saying to **Nicole4211 **and **Little Princess Nana** that I'd love to find someone to draw it out myself, but I don't have any idea who to ask. So if you know a talented someone that might be interested, please put them in contact with me. I'd love to see these in 'color'.


	5. Chapter 5

_Holy shit, I finally got this one done! So very sorry it took me so long - I just didn't have the inspiration for it, and as you know, I absolutely will not post lack-luster work. That being said, this still went an entirely different direction than I'd planned and honestly than the other chapters, but maybe that's okay. You can let me know. If it doesn't work, then maybe I'll revisit it and we can go from there. _

_Anyway, without further ado, I give you the chapter and remind you that I don't own Fairy Tail. Our esteemed **Hiro Mashima** does. _

_Lots of love to my bestie, **Nicole4211 **and my Triplet Sisters, **Gemnika **and **LittlePrincessNana** for reading over this and giving it the pervy seal of approval. I love you guys so much! _

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**The Twelve Months of Fairy Tail**

**Chapter 5**

Lucy stood there, refusing to move a muscle until she heard the distinct sound of the door clicking shut, and even then, she was too terrified to move. What if Gajeel hadn't actually left? What if he was faking the whole thing and he was actually still standing there just inside the door like some Adonis come to demolish her by way of her lust riddled mind?

She was a mess, the quintessential hot mess people were always talking about, and it was all their faults. These men were supposed to be her friends - they weren't supposed to enjoy her pain so much. Well, to be fair, she wasn't actually in pain, though she had doubts about that for the end of the day. She had a feeling that should this trend continue, she'd be in a world of hurt once it was time to head home. Already, her body was a mass of sensation, the space between her legs throbbing like she'd just endured a profoundly long bout of foreplay. Should she have the desire to engage in a round of hot sex, she'd be all fired up and ready to go - no further actions required.

But she wasn't. Or rather she was, but she shouldn't be.

Mavis, this was all so confusing...and frustrating. She almost wished she was the type to hop into bed with a random guy if for no other reason than to alleviate the ache between her thighs and settle the disturbingly erotic things in her mind.

She really needed to start dating again...like today.

Expelling a shaky breath, Lucy pressed a hand to her chest and tried for another pep talk. The last one hadn't worked out so well, but she was certain she could do better this time. She still had two more guys to get through, and quite frankly, she had a feeling she'd be needing the extra bolstering.

"Okay Lucy, you can do this. Just two more guys and then you're home free." she muttered softly.

How sad was it that she didn't even sound convincing to herself? She just couldn't seem to believe that the other two men would play nice. Neither were all that professional in their usual routine, and with one being a massive perv and the other an incurable flirt, she couldn't imagine her day was about to get easier.

Thankfully though, she got to pick who went next, and if her choice was between someone who enjoyed a bit of harmless flirting and someone who went straight for the groin, she was going with harmless. She could use a bit of that right now.

So, she drew in a steadying gulp of air and reached for her keys only to have a burst of light appear just in front of her. She blinked rapidly as the sparkles faded, revealing the very spirit she was about to call. How he'd known she was ready for him, she didn't know, but it was something he did on a continual basis. He always seemed to show up just when she required his assistance, and sometimes, much to her annoyance, even when she didn't.

Still, it was good to see him. First and foremost, they were friends, and she loved spending time him. Plus, he was her loyal Spirit, and as such, he would surely take pity on her.

"Princess!" he gushed, reaching for her hand as he folded himself into a low sweeping bow. He peered up at her from his bent position and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "You look positively stunning as always."

Lucy couldn't repress a grin even as she rolled her eyes at him. It was just as she'd expected, and it served to settle her nerves right down. Had he come out acting out of the norm, she'd have been worried that he intended to put her through the wringer just like all the others had done before him. But he was just as he always was, and Lucy finally felt like she could breathe easily.

Even so, it was a bit odd to see this version of Loke behaving in such a way. He'd appeared much like she'd seen him on her first day at Fairy Tail with that fur-lined coat and three piercings in his left ear. It had been a while since he'd brought out the old look, and though it was a strange contrast with his behavior, she had to admit, he looked just as good as he usually did. And it would actually work really well with the first pose she'd chosen for him.

"Hi Loke. You ready to get started?"

Just like she'd known he would, her orange-haired Spirit pouted. "You didn't even acknowledge my compliment."

Lucy just laughed and spun on her heels. "I never do. You know that."

"But...but this is a special day, Princess."

She glanced back at him over her shoulder. "Why's that?"

"You're taking pictures of me, of course...with nearly nothing on," he purred, his voice sliding into the tone he adopted every time he tried to sweep her off her feet. "It'll be so romantic, so...sensual."

The blonde drew in a sharp breath and whipped around to face him. "What in the world are you talking about?"

This could not be happening. Not Loke too. She'd chosen him because she thought he'd be safe, and now, here he was spouting nonsense about this activity being sensual. Romance she could have handled. It was what he was constantly chasing her with, but sensual...that was something else entirely. And with her brain taking a backseat to her libido, she had no idea how she'd react.

Loke moved in a step and flashed her a grin. "It's just like the scene from Titanic where Jack draws Rose naked."

"Loke!" Lucy gaped at him as she recalled the incredible sexual tension between the characters in that moment. And he was acting like it would be the same with them! Instantly, she regretted that she'd ever shown him that movie. She couldn't believe he was using it as a reference to compare with what they were about to do. Okay, so he was losing some clothes so she could take his picture but that wasn't the same thing. She and Loke weren't like that, and she most certainly wasn't taking his picture just to see him naked.

Though a part of her would admit to a slight bit of curiosity over the reason for so many Magnolia women fawning over him. It was purely clinical. She wasn't curious about what he looked like under his clothes. She just wondered what it was that had swept so many girls off their feet.

Yes, that's exactly what it was. Nothing naughty to see here inside her head. This time, she was innocent.

Only that wasn't exactly true. She hated that she was always so honest with herself because that meant admitting that she did wonder about Loke's physique. She couldn't exactly help it. All those women had fallen all over themselves over him, and it made her crazy not to know why. The dirtier parts of her mind asked the questions she simply couldn't voice. Was his body deliciously formed like the other men she'd seen today? Was he perhaps hung like a horse? Or was he somehow impossibly good in bed? The latter would make sense considering the sheer amount of time he'd been around.

Shaking her head at the path her thoughts had taken, Lucy frowned at the Leader of the Zodiac, noticing that his grin had widened even further. It was as if he had noticed where her mind had gone and had taken complete credit for the direction.

"Don't look so worried, Princess," he went on cheerfully, seeming to have not a care in the world. "We'll wait on the naked parts until you're ready."

Lucy huffed. The man was incorrigible. "That is not happening here, Loke."

His response was nothing more than a smug look and a quick wink, and Lucy felt her nerves take a distinct dive. He was planning something. It was written there across his face, but what could it be? She'd told no one about the positioning she'd chosen for each of the men, so it wasn't like he could figure out some way to change things in his favor.

But she knew that look. It was one she'd seen nearly all day, one that said clearly that they knew something she didn't know. Laxus, Gray, Gajeel...they'd all had that same expression, and look what they had done to her. Suddenly, she felt a bit like the fluffy little bunny Gajeel called her.

Her knees trembled as his lips quirked, and he turned to the side, giving her an excellent view of his profile. "What do you want me to take off first?"

Finding her voice, she muttered a soft, "Shirt," as she forced herself to back away under the guise of getting things prepared for his shoot.

"Don't you want to watch?"

No, she most certainly did not! And yet, she couldn't seem to help herself. She turned to find him with that same cocky grin on his face as he elegantly shrugged his coat from his shoulder and then reached for the hem of his t-shirt. Lucy watched with bated breath as the orange cloth inched its way up his torso, and she felt her eyes widen as she got her first glimpse of his exposed flesh. His pants were snug around narrow hips, curving around an equally tempting butt, and Lucy swallowed hard as her eyes traveled up his side. She knew she shouldn't be studying him this way. It was so very wrong, but she couldn't pull her gaze away, not when he was pulling the shirt up over his head, causing the muscles in his side to tense and bunch so deliciously. He was lean, and yet he still managed to look sturdy...like he could hold her up against a wall and...

An amused chuckle sounded from the man she'd been ogling, and Lucy coughed, her face going bright red as she realized she'd been caught.

What the hell was she doing? She wasn't supposed to be drooling over Loke. The man was completely off-limits - he was her Spirit for Mavis' sake! And yet, there was something liberating about knowing she couldn't do anything with him. That was one line she knew she would never cross, so Loke very well might be the only man she could legitimately fantasize about without the worry of giving in.

Still, it was best not to take any chances.

"Okay, let's get to work," she announced with as much aplomb as her current state would allow. She was shaken. There were no two ways about it. He was getting to her, and they hadn't even gotten started yet. The only thing she could do was keep pressing on and pretend like hell to be as unaffected as she normally was. She only hoped she had somehow gotten better at faking shit in the last 20 minutes.

Yeah, that sounded promising...

Lucy waited for Loke to turn, and like the professional she was trying to be, threw a hand out to indicate where she wanted him to go. Now that he was facing her, she was tempted to take a quick peek at the full view, see what all the fuss was about, but she denied herself. She'd read somewhere that was good for you, but as far as she was concerned, it was damned near impossible. Everything insider her wanted to scroll down his body like the pages of a book, and the longer she stood there, the worse it got.

Needing a moment, she closed her eyes and just for caution's sake, pressed her hand against them.

"Everything okay, Princess?"

His tone was light and teasing, and Lucy had no doubt the irritating man knew just what her problem was. But the joke was on him, because she refused to be bated into drooling over his admittedly hot body. At least she'd try not to. Like really try.

Still, she was just a woman. And she had a job, one that required her to at least look at him. But she couldn't avoid staring. Certainly she was capable of that.

Giving herself a curt nod, she opened her eyes and forced herself to meet his eyes. It took only a moment for her gaze to try to ease down past his face, but she very deliberately pulled them back to where she'd started.

Loke watched her struggle with an almost self-satisfied smile. There was no doubt he knew what she doing, but Lucy couldn't worry about that right now. Her battle was with herself, and she was determined to win at least once today. Too bad it was proving to be a pain in the ass.

Drawing on the memory of what she'd planned, Lucy approached the half-naked man before her, trying like hell to forget that he _was_ in fact half-naked, and said with all the authority she could muster, "Alright, turn around backwards. Not all the way, kind of angled." She waited until she'd moved into the position she wanted, and then added, "Now twist the top part of your body around and turn your head so that you can see me. Good, now I want you to do what you do when you call for the Regulus power."

Loke arched a brow at her over his shoulder. "And why am I doing this with my back turned?"

"So your guild mark will show."

"Mhmm..." he hummed, a grin morphing his face with glee. "You sure you didn't just want a peek at my butt?"

Lucy drew back with a flush. "No!" It was a quick denial, one that would easily prove her innocence of such a statement...if she hadn't then let her eyes drop to do exactly what he'd suggested she was trying to do.

A loud laugh brought her gaze back up to where it should be, and the blonde nearly groaned at the pleased look on her lion's face. He was enjoying this way too much.

"Oh shut up and do what I said!"

This was supposed to be her easy one, but Loke was making everything more difficult. Damn men and their amazing bodies. They were going to be the death of her.

Another snicker slipped out, and then Loke got serious. His upper body twisting to the side, he raised one arm in a perfect 90 degree angle and closed his fingers into a fist. His ring glinted off the lights Lucy had rigged in the room, and Lucy felt a rush as she watched his set his other hand at the inside of his other arm's elbow and then whisper the incantation for his right to shine. It was just what Lucy had been looking for - right down to the fiercely protective expression on his face.

He looked just as he did the day they'd faced off against Bickslow, and Lucy had known then that as long as she had Loke, she would never be alone in a fight. It was the first of many times he'd saved her life, and a day didn't go by that she didn't think of it. He was her friend, her Spirit, and right now, with that look staring right out at her, he was suddenly so much more.

The man she'd never considered more than a playful buddy was becoming a sexual force to be reckoned with right before her very eyes, and she felt the zing of attraction hit her like a ton of bricks. The air stalled in her lungs, and it was only by sheer force of will that Lucy was able to shut it down enough to do her job. Hurriedly, she brought the camera up and clicked off a series of photos, stepping to the side once or twice to gain another angle, and then she was done.

She let her arm drop beside her, her camera still held tightly in her clutches and sighed. She didn't know how she was going to make it through the rest of this day, especially considering what she'd planned for Loke next. There was no way she could do it. Her hormones would spontaneously combust if she went through with that particular pose. Already her mind was spinning, imagining him in such position.

But if she didn't use that, what was she going to do? She was in no position to be thinking up new ideas for this job. These guys had done something to her, messed with her head to the point she could barely think straight. So how on earth was she going to come up with something new - not to mention safe for her - without it losing its sexy edge?

"You alright there, Princess?" Loke teased, moving out of his stance and coming to stand close to her.

He reached up, combing both hands through his hair, and Lucy felt something catch inside her. Her eyes dropped of their own volition, taking in the way his skin stretched tight over the muscles in his arms, chest, and stomach, and before she could school her reaction, she licked her lips. There was no stopping it, not when he began lowering his arms and she could see the play of each and every one of those finely honed muscles shifting back into place.

She was in awe, downright stupefied that she'd somehow missed the fact that he had such an extraordinary form. Now that she'd seen the sort of shape he was in, she found herself wishing he'd show it off more often. Of course then she'd probably get herself into trouble...the way she was doing now.

Blinking rapidly, Lucy lifted her head, trying valiantly to keep her eyes firmly above neck level. That was innocent territory. Anything lower was going to cause her an arrhythmia.

Loke's lips twitched with mirth, but he didn't call attention to her gawking. He just asked, "How about I take my pants off and we get busy?"

His words brought to mind all sorts of carnal things - positions that had nothing to do with photography and everything to do with satisfying the ache blooming between her thighs. Only that was dangerous and naughty. She was supposed to be a good girl, and good girls didn't imagine their friends in such delightfully sinful situations. Or maybe they did. Who was she to judge?

"Yeah. Let's do it." Her agreement flew from her mouth amid a shaky breath, and then she blanched when she realized what it sounded like she was agreeing to. Oh Mavis, come and kill her now.

Loke closed the gap between them, shooting her a look of profound heat as he ran a finger down the side of her face and then her neck. "Anytime you're ready, Princess. Anytime."

The innuendo was there. It was real and pulsing like his very own stars in the sky. The man was serious...and heaven help her, she was seriously tempted. But to her credit, what woman wouldn't be? Loke was a wonderful man with an unbelievable body, and if the scores of women obsessed with him were any indication, he would be damn good in bed.

But that was a big no-no. In her mind, Lucy found every raunchy thought she'd had of her lion Spirit and stuffed them all into a box where she mentally drew a big fat X. Nope nope nope...

In the next second, before she could formulate a response, Loke detracted his hand and reached for the button on his pants.

Lucy swallowed hard, fearing that he was indeed going to get naked and try to seduce her. "What are you doing?"

The orange-haired man chuckled, his smile easy, as if nothing had just transpired between them. "I'm getting ready for the next picture. Mira said we'd all be down to just our underwear for the last one."

"R-Right...Right. That's what you're doing. Okay..." She fumbled for words as relief flooded her system and warred with a healthy dose of shame. What in the world was she thinking, that he was just going to make a play for her right here? In the back of the guild?

But now she was faced with the problem of his second pose. She couldn't let him do that one...not now. After what had just happened, she couldn't take the risk that her ovaries would detonate inside her. "What to do..." she mumbled.

Loke caught her soft murmur and asked, "About what?"

"Y-Your next position."

"What's wrong with the one you picked out before?"

Lucy's head snapped up at his words. How had he known there was another one already planned?

Loke arched an eyebrow at her as if to remind her of who he was. "I've known you long enough to know you always plan everything. So what's the issue with what you already had planned for me?"

Now that he'd put her on the spot, how was she supposed to tell him it was too sexy? _Oh it's nothing, Loke. I just think it would cause me to melt into a puddle of goo._ Yeah, that wasn't going to happen. She sighed. She still had no idea what else she could do with him. Her mind was firmly, and irrationally, stuck on the image of him crawling across the floor. So basically, she was screwed. She had no choice but to go along with what she'd intended to do from the beginning. She only hoped she had more control than she thought she did.

Bracing herself, Lucy pushed a smile on her face and directed him toward a section of the room where a jungle backdrop hung the entire length of the wall and a black silk fabric lay in waves across the floor. "It's...nothing. Let's go with that one."

He moved across the room to the spot she'd indicated, and Lucy followed behind him, trying not to watch the globes of his ass moved beneath the soft orange cotton of his boxer briefs. She'd already peeked enough to know that they were fairy new and that he had two of the most delectable little dimples in his back just above the elastic waistband. But that was what anyone would notice...or at least that's what she told herself.

"Enjoying the view?"

Lucy flushed a brilliant sheen as she caught Loke's eyes on her, those hazel orbs that saw entirely too much. "I don't know what you're talking about." She was stubborn, and more than anything, she believed in self-preservation. So what was a girl to do when caught in the act of scoping a guy's derriere? Lie like a rug, no matter how badly she was as it.

"Right," Loke hummed, his lips curling with laughter as he stepped onto the black silk covering the floor. "Now...where do you want me?

So many answers slipped into her mind at that. _Anywhere...in my bed...against the wall..._ But she said none of that. Her treacherous thoughts were kept under firm lock and key where they would remain until she died. "I want you to get on the floor."

The Spirit chuckled. "That wouldn't have been my first choice, but I'm yours to command."

While she appreciated that he wouldn't argue you with like Laxus had or ask tons of questions like Gajeel had, she certainly didn't know how to address his statement. Hers to command? What was she supposed to do with that?

A million things came to mind, none of them particularly helpful to the situation or her shaky control, and she immediately pushed them aside in favor of simply shouldering through this photograph. "Alright...you're going to um..." Her temperature spiked as she realized how this would sound, and she paused. How on earth could she say this without it coming out dirty? Honestly, she didn't think there was. She could only lay it out there and get through this as quickly as possible and hopefully without doing anything she'd regret later on. Drawing in a deep breath, she continued, "You're going to get on your knees..." His eyebrow winged up at her command, but she rushed to finish before he could comment. She had it coming with what she was going to make him do, and she'd rather get it all out in one shot. "...And crawl towards me like a cat."

Just like she'd known would happen, a smirk appeared on his face. "Princess, I had no idea you liked such...primal things," he purred, causing her cheeks to flare once more.

It was beyond embarrassing - not only making him do such a thing in a photo, but also having been the mind to think it up in the first place. It did nothing to prove the innocence she actually possessed. It instead showed quite vividly the filthy depths into which her brain could descend.

And that was precisely what Loke noticed. He moved toward her, a knowing look on his face. "I'd always thought you to be so innocent, so...sexually naive; when in reality, inside that brilliant mind of yours, you are quite the naughty little minx."

If there was a way for her face to reach the level of red past what Erza's hair was, it would have happened right at that moment. And yet Lucy couldn't deny what he'd said. He'd hit the proverbial nail on the head. She everything he said - naive in body, naughty in mind. And that combination seemed to intrigue him in some way, and Lucy had no idea why.

Not knowing what to say, Lucy waved a hand toward the place she wanted him to go and turned to prepare what she needed for the shot. She dimmed the lights, having decided ahead of time that the lower light would add to the overall darker feel of the picture, and then grabbed both a mat and her camera. She'd need to get low to the floor to capture the right angle, one that would force women the country over to imagine Loke crawling right through the calendar to seduce them. She only hoped she survived the encounter herself.

Without a word of appreciation at him following her commands, she laid the mat out and stretched herself on top of it, settling in place on her belly before raising the camera in front of her. "Alright Loke. Imagine you're in the jungle, and you're stalking your-"

He cut her off with a growl as he lowered himself on hands and knees. "I think I've got the idea."

"O-Okay."

Lucy swallowed hard, her pulse suddenly jumping in her throat when a bright light flashed around him, transforming him into the Loke she normally interacted with. Gone was carefree smiles, the glasses, and the short hair, and in its place was the Lion from the stars. His hair spiked out around his head, a pair of feline ears the same size as each lock of unruly hair standing to attention atop his head, and his eyes glinting a deep gold, the color of the large cat he represented in the night sky. In a word, he was gorgeous, jaw-droppingly so, and Lucy could scarcely find enough air to make a sound.

He angled his head down, his back dipping as he starting slinking his way toward her. It was like something out of a movie, that pivotal point just before a man shifted into beast and devoured the woman whole. And like many a woman before her, Lucy felt her panties moisten. What was it about him, that balance between man and lion, that so enticed her?

"Do it, Lucy."

The use of her name and the slight rumble in his voice was all that was needed to prompt her into action. Her discipline was shaky at best, and if she didn't get this done now, there was no telling what was about to happen. Fumbling with the gadget in her hands, Lucy felt for the button she needed and finally began clicking off the photos. Shot after shot went by, and Lucy even managed to get a few different angles before declaring the job done.

"Okay Loke..." she said breathily, almost afraid to move with the way he was still watching her. "You can go back now."

As if he too knew the precarious situation they'd found themselves in, Loke nodded stiffly. "Until next time, Princess."

He disappeared in a burst of light, and Lucy waited until the last spark faded before slumping to the floor. "Holy shit."


End file.
